Apparel Design - BA, BS

Apparel Design Major:

Apparel design is a creative and highly competitive profession. That is why the St. Kate's apparel design major is rigorous and dedicated to teaching students the hands-on skills they need to stay a step ahead of the competition. Students learn creative problem solving, use of current CAD technologies, and how to transform inspiration into creative designs. Students make clothes for real bodies as well as the dressmaker form. Junior and senior students craft a collection of work to be shown at the year-end Katwalk fashion show. Sustainable design and manufacturing processes are integrated into each course. Our students support sustainable practices because Eco-fashion and a focus on human rights in manufacturing are important for consumers as well as the fashion industry. In classes, students discuss fair trade practices, workers' rights, up-cycling and sustainable design, and sourcing ethically. It is all about the triple bottom line-People, Planet, and Profit.

Students will be prepared for careers in styling, trends, CAD, product development, creative design, technical design, quality assurance, ready-to-wear, couture and custom design. A required internship and real-world course projects provide hands-on rich experiences. In addition to apparel design courses, students will complete relevant courses in art, business, and communications. Students may take advantage of the opportunity to study for a semester or year at the Fashion Institute of Technology, London College of Fashion, Acadia Fashion Institute in Florence or other approved study-abroad programs.

Students may participate in 10- to 21-day off-campus study courses in London/Paris/Florence, Hong Kong/China, India or other locations. On these trips, they will experience first-hand discussions with fashion designers, trend and color forecasters, costume designers for Broadway or the London Theater, fashion magazine editors, buyers, textile wholesalers and manufacturers. Students also will attend fashion exhibitions and view collections at major museums and learn about global sustainability.

See also: Fashion Merchandising.

This major is offered in the College for Women only.

Curriculum

Apparel design majors satisfy the Writing Requirement for Majors by completing FASH 2150W Sociocultural Aspects of Dress. They complete the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Writing Requirement with three other writing intensive courses (CORE 1000W The Reflective Woman or CORE 2000W The Reflective Woman, CORE 3990W Global Search for Justice, and one other writing intensive course in this or another department).